Column:
'District 9' a new breed of sci-fi action
Published Aug. 25, 2009
To be honest, few things were very certain after seeing the incredibly vague trailers for "District 9." It had something to do with immigration, computer-generated aliens and South Africa.
So let's clear the air: "District 9" is an action/sci-fi flick about refugee aliens who show up on Earth malnourished and ignorant. The wonderful citizens of Johannesburg, South Africa, subsequently refuse to allow the aliens to leave, dub them "prawns" and stuff them in a slum. The film chronicles the government relocating the aliens to a nicer, cleaner slum, while a sole self-aware alien named Christopher Johnson tries to escape Earth.
As it is quite clear, "District 9" is more than simply an action film. The majority of American viewers will not catch the reference to South Africa's very real District 6, an area paralyzed by the removal of 60,000 of its residents during the apartheid. One fact remains the same: "District 9" is not your stereotypical action movie. Considering the message most action movies today preach is "Technology will bite us in the ass," the writers' decision to make "District 9" an action-humanitarian endeavor is commendable, if slightly bizarre.
Confusion about this political undertaking stems from the violence this action-humanitarian film portrays. Humans take the brunt of the destruction, posing a question: If "District 9" wants us to help our fellow man regardless of race, why show men being splattered across warehouse walls?
Weird political stances aside, the alien weapons are damn cool and the source for cringe-worthy scenes. Never before have we seen a body-disintegrating gun that is not laughable. In fact, it looks downright terrifying. The aliens are amazing, conveying a great range of emotion on their non-human faces. Still, director Neill Blomkamp never uses computer-generated imagery as a crutch, opting for more low-key special effects instead of bombarding the screen with massive amounts of bad CGI. "District 9" boasts some of the best CGI to be seen, and it's not even the best aspect of the film.
The most surprising gift "District 9" has bestowed upon the industry comes in the form of Sharlto Copley. Copley, in his first feature-length role, plays the film's main protagonist Wikus Van De Merwe with a depth rarely seen in action movies. Copley graces us with a new breed of anti-hero; as a government ally, Wikus should be a villain. He is a bumbling coward and yet completely identifiable. He just wants to go home and see his wife, but finds himself in way over his head.
"District 9" stands as a huge accomplishment for director Neill Blomkamp. Because I do not know how to credit the fantastic - but completely computer-generated - character of Christopher Johnson, I shall congratulate the writer/director. Johnson, the alien of focus, and his child are the most heartfelt aspect of the movie. By presenting these characters with a gritty, documentary style, the aliens seem very real. This hand-held camera look and feel put the audience straight into the action, making the viewer feel as though they are watching the news. If the news were awesome and contained aliens.
Blomkamp orchestrates a wonderful symphony of a film. The action is fresh and the characters breathtakingly real, thanks to an innovative script. If more action movies would take a page out of the book of "District 9", we might not have to sit through any more John Cena catastrophes.